Girls go by, Giovanni Sammarco Ariel

You all know that my aspiration is to become a perfumer one day. But as you think of it for a little bit longer you realize that perfumer, just like any other job, has its pros and cons. The greatest of pros to me is the ability to create, to make something special out of simple materials. Cons? I guess the pressure, especially when you’re creating a fragrance for a mass-market brand and have a very specific deadline to meet. That’s why artisan perfumers are so loved and endorsed. Each of them works at their own pace and they’re not in a hurry. Effects of their work are always pretty impressive.

Just last week I saw a photo Giovanni Sammarco posted on Facebook. It presented a box filled with samples and announcing a new perfume from him. As I saw a name – Ariel, I laughed immediately as the fastest association with that name took me back to my childhood days and main character of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. The notes looked pretty much right up my alley. I wished Giovanni good luck with his new launch and said that I’m looking forward to trying it. As I came back home for the weekend, the sample was already waiting for me. Thanks Giovanni.

Ariel, oh Ariel. What a complex and shifting being you are. The composition blossoms on my skin with literally the greenest accord I have ever smelled. It feels like a mixture of tree sap and some dirt combined with animalic qualities. It is also extremely vegetal with accentuated elements that make me think of parsley and carrot. Those are obviously not the notes and it’s possible my interpretation of angelica and davana accord. Later on everything gets much more pretty when lady Ariel brings you a basket of flowers. Among them a very femme tuberose is a queen.

It reigns in this perfume with both crispy-clean white flowers as well as some dirty, animalic indol. To assist she has some jasmine duchess around her. Their frilly petal dresses wave with every move as you inhale the scent. Combination of very gentle and silky rose with tiny osmanthus flowers and purple violet brings a decadent vibe of having a tea party in the garden, somewhere in England of past times. I really like this part of Ariel, when it’s on the edge of being an angel with little devil horns. Later on violet becomes a little bit more confectionery and sweet, like violet sugar of sweets with violet flavor. As the time flies by, this creation by Giovanni Sammarco becomes more fresh.

From the fresher side of Ariel you will notice a zesty smell of ginger that imitates a lemon zing. It has been paired with an invigorating and juicy aroma of sweet mandarin that instantly makes my mouth water (and I love mandarin). As we’re approaching the drydown, this creations changes quite drastically. From a rich, kind of opulent floral concoction Ariel turns into a charming and glamorous lady of the night. Sandalwood is the key ingredient of this stage development.

And you know what, it’s absolutely stunning. Giovanni used the kind of sandalwood that at the beginning smells like a fancy expensive, exquisite face powder because of the remains of rose and violet there. But as the flowers become to quiet to notice, this sandalwood tones becomes incredibly creamy, lactonic, with a buttery facet. It feels almost edible. To me it also has some hidden similarities with tonka bean and a hint of patchouli. And of course there is this beautiful orris concrete he used. I could smell it right away, it adds that luxurious quality. Ariel is a charming girl.

Giovanni admits Ariel is his most feminine creation and I totally agree with his statement. At the same time I have to say that his new perfume smells so good that I don’t care whether it’s geared towards men or women. I just want to wear it. It’s sophisticated, elegant, luxurious and… classically modern. It’s offers a marriage of perfumery past and present. The longevity of this natural perfume is around 6-8 hours while sillage has more intimate volume which gives it more personal style.